The International School for Holocaust Studies

Online Courses

Life Lessons – Bringing Holocaust History to Your Classroom

Online Course for Educators

This new online course provides educators with directives in Holocaust history in conjunction with pedagogic tools applicable to the classroom.
Designed specifically for teachers and educators, this new online course provides chapters in Holocaust history alongside practical pedagogic tools. In keeping with Yad Vashem's educational philosophy, the historical content is explored through a multi-disciplinary approach. Participants will work with educational material used by the International School for Holocaust Studies and explore implementation of these sources for a variety of age groups

As with all our online courses, assignments may be submitted at your own pace. Once you are approved onto the course system, participation will remain open for a period of 6 months, after which your course access will expire. We recommend reading the material and submitting the assignments at a rate of one lesson or more every two weeks.

Lesson One:Yad Vashem’s Educational Philosophy
The application of an educational framework in teaching about the Holocaust to elementary and secondary school students. This will include how to decipher
appropriateness according to age as well as adapting texts to various levels.

Lesson Two:Nazi Germany and the Jews
This lesson is an historical background to Nazism.
The materials explore Nazi Ideology with a focus on the antisemitic components.

Lesson Three:Final Solution
This lesson provides an historical background of the Final Solution.
The materials explore the evolution of the Final Solution, from Operation Barbarossa to the Death Camps. Additionally, the case study of Stanislawow will be examined.

Lesson Five:Camp Life
This lesson provides framework for using the Auschwitz Album to teach about Auschwitz concentration camp.

Lesson Six:Resistance
This lesson takes an in depth look at the different types of resistance during the period of the Holocaust. This includes resistance from both Jewish and non-Jewish groups and individuals. Additionally, the distinction between spiritual and physical resistance will be explored.

Lesson Seven:How Was it Humanly Possible?
Perpetrators committing mass murder, victims being slaughtered and fighting for survival, rescuers finding the courage and humanity to extend a hand and finally bystanders who stood by and watched as evil prevailed. This lesson explores how such horrific events were humanly possible in the 20th Century.

Lesson Eight:Churches, The Vatican and Pope Pius XII
This lesson delves into the Christian world during the period of the Holocaust. The materials presented explore responses from both the Catholic and Protestant
Churches as well as the Vatican. Additionally, the role of Pope Pius XII will be examined.

Lesson Nine:Righteous Among the Nations
Case studies of individuals, as well as organizations/ institutions, who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. These case studies will then be
adapted to classroom activities.

Lesson Ten:Return to Life
This final lesson takes a look at survivors returning to life after the Holocaust.
Through use of photographs and testimonies, the materials will present a series of educational directives to be applied in the classroom.